Although he is the veteran among them, Charlie Blackmon entered his head-to-head matchup with Dodgers first baseman Cody Bellinger the underdog in Monday’s MLB Home Run Derby.
Ranked according to total home runs so far on the season, Bellinger, a rookie and the NL’s No. 3 seed, had the better of Blackmon, the No. 6 seed, by five home runs. When their first-round showdown was over, Bellinger had bested Blackmon by the skin of his teeth.
Blackmon batted first and slugged an impressive 14 home runs of Rockies bullpen coach Darren Holmes during the 4:00 time limit. After his 4:00 minutes, Bellinger had just 13 – but the rookie had earned himself :30 of bonus time that Blackmon did not.
The Derby’s first round offers bonus time for any participant who hits two or more home runs of 440 feet or longer. Blackmon’s longest shot of the night was 434.
Bellinger, meanwhile, hit home run No. 13 just past the 440 mark as time was expiring on his round to earn the bonus time. The rookie hit another two home runs during his bonus time, including the go-ahead shot with just :05 remaining.
It was still an impressive showing for Blackmon, the only leadoff hitter in the competition. Blackmon hit his 14 home runs an average of 413 feet and knocked 52 percent of his swings out of the park, according to Statcast.
Following his Derby at-bat, Blackmon was greeted by his teammate and friend DJ LeMahieu, who will be a reserve for the NL in Tuesday’s All-Star Game. Blackmon will bat leadoff and play center field for the NL. Nolan Arenado will hit sixth and start at third base. Closer Greg Holland will be in the bullpen. It is the largest representation of Colorado Rockies in All-Star Game history.
